Sunderland AFC legend Jimmy Montgomery opens new dementia care centre in city

North East Dementia Care was launched in August to provide day care and activities for dementia sufferers.

It was started in a bid to fill the gap in care provision left by the closure of the Alzheimer’s Society on Hylton Road in May 2019.

The closure, which followed funding shortages, devastated those who relied on its services.

But supporters of the centre refused to be beaten and set up North East Dementia Care as a charity of their own.

The organisation opened a temporary home inside the retirement centre on Springtide Cove on Dock Street in Roker in August to provide the much-needed services to thousands of people in the city who are affected by the disease, and their families.

And now it has opened the doors to its permanent base in Pennywell Business Centre, Portsmouth Road, Sunderland, to the delight of service users.

It was officially opened by Sunderland AFC legend Jimmy Montgomery on Friday, November 1, with the centre providing daily activities for those with dementia, young dementia support and a charity shop, which will go toward help fun the day care.

Charity chairwoman Sandra Falkner has been devoted to helping sufferers and their carers since looking after her husband Billy, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in his 50s and died of the disease four years ago, aged 67.

The Hylton Road unit had been a lifeline to Billy and many others, so Sandra is excited by the new venture, which is there for both sufferers and carers to meet others in similar situations.

Sandra said: “The new centre is run by three qualified staff, a fully-qualified manager and volunteers who have all been carers for people with dementia.

“In the centre has a charity shop in and we have already been inundated by people who have been donating goods.

“We will be providing day care, personal care, a two-course hot meal and have musical memories sessions on a Thursday.”

The centre is also looking to hold a memory cafe.